Posted by Mike Massie on September 2, 2010
Fact: Most People Do Not Want To Learn Martial Arts!
Fitness has everything to do with your martial arts training... and your school's success.
I coach a lot of martial arts instructors on how to start and grow a successful school; some directly and many more via my websites and written resources.
And, I’ve found that one of the most difficult concepts to impart to many instructors is the fact that most people don’t want to learn martial arts.
This is, quite simply, a fact. Think about it – how many people (outside of where you train) do you know in your community that train in martial arts? Do you think it’s because they don’t know about it? Sorry to burst your bubble, but people who don’t train in martial arts choose not to because of disinterest, not ignorance.
Even so, people are often disinterested because they simply don’t know enough about the martial arts, or they are misinformed about what practice entails. And, many times once people try it they discover how much fun it is and stick with it. But the ages-old challenge of martial arts instructors is finding ways to get the disinterested to take a first look at their programs.
The Business Benefits Are Undeniable… So Why The Resistance?
I realized early on that teaching fitness classes was a great way to get the disinterested into my school. While only a very small percentage of the public are interested in martial arts, almost everyone wants to be in shape. By offering fitness classes, I was able to both increase my income and expose the general public to the martial arts, thus attracting a clientele I would never have had access to otherwise.
It’s a proven business tactic, and I’ve used it for years as an integral success component in my own schools. Yet, when I introduce instructors to this approach, they often are resistant (sometimes to the point of criticism) to the idea of teaching fitness programs.
“But I don’t want to run a fitness club; I just want to teach martial arts,” is a response I often get when I present this business tactic to martial arts instructors. And while I understand where these instructors are coming from, I also think that they are using flawed logic to justify not wanting to get out of their comfort zone – even to the point of being hypocritical and cheating their own students out of valuable training.
The Argument For Fitness Training Being An Integral Part Of Martial Arts Practice
Let me repeat what I said earlier in case you missed it the first time:
“Instructors who refuse to teach fitness classes are cheating their own students out of valuable training experiences…”
Granted, what goes on at the local big box gym has little to do with martial arts training when looked at in a specific context. But wait a second – isn’t fitness an integral part of martial arts training?
Fitness And Martial Arts In The Modern Era
You bet your black belt it is, and martial arts history will back that up. Of course we all know what a fanatic about fitness that Bruce Lee was. In fact, he set an example that would be followed and expanded upon by modern mixed martial artists, by emphasizing the need for physical attributes; or what he called “basic requirements.”
Virtually everyone who is a fan or practitioner of mixed martial arts or other contact fighting pursuits understands that physical conditioning is prerequisite to success in the ring or cage. Everyone from jiu jitsu competitors, to mixed martial arts fighters, to boxers, to wrestlers, to judoka, to full-contact karate fighters understands that fitness precedes victory in the ring. No lungs and legs, no fighter; every modern fight trainer and coach understands this.
Fitness And Martial Arts In Ancient Times
Yet, the influence of fitness training on martial arts goes back much, much further than that. Most recently in history, we can examine the karate practitioners of Okinawa for examples of martial artists using physical conditioning methods to enhance their martial arts skill. Practitioners of traditional Okinawan karate use various weighted strength and conditioning devices, including lifting jars of sand and stone, lifting and swinging weighted devices similar to Indian club bells, and lifting stone weights reminiscent of kettle bells.
And, should we look further to the Shaolin temple, we find similar fitness conditioning training being an integral component of the martial arts regime. With the revival of the modern temple, film documentarians have recorded modern examples of the rigorous physical training of the monks firsthand.
Not to mention that the first monks were supposedly introduced to martial arts practice via exercises designed to improve their stamina and physical fitness. Although a hotly contested (and some would say disproved) legend, the influence of fitness training on the early development of martial arts is a central concept to the history of many martial arts traditions.
A Moral Imperative To Include Fitness Training In Your School?
Knowing all this, how can we then exclude fitness training and instruction from our overall syllabus of martial arts instruction, simply because it is not “martial”? The answer is, we cannot – and should not, for that matter, especially in a modern era where people live mostly sedentary and soft lives. Let’s face it, the average martial arts student that walks in your front door is out of shape (and many times even to the point of being unhealthy).
In my own experience with teaching modern students, I can tell you that most students who begin martial arts become frustrated with the training initially, not because they are unable to learn it, but because they are unable to perform it. And, more often than not, their inability is not due to a lack of aptitude – they are simply just not fit enough to perform the movements.
Certainly, over time this problem will “self-correct” if the student simply sticks with it. But if the student is continually frustrated in training, will they? Chances are good they won’t, which contributes to the exceedingly high dropout rates among adult students in the martial arts.
I figured this out years ago, and started encouraging my adult students to attend my fitness classes as an adjunct to their training. In every single instance when the student attended fitness training in addition to their martial arts classes, their rate of learning and their skill performance skyrocketed within just a few weeks.
In particular, I can recall a recent instance where a student that was considered “wimpy” by the other students soon became a terror on the floor (other students started to jokingly complain about partnering with this student; “she hits too hard” was a frequent comment).
Would You Cheat Your Students… Those Both Current and Prospective?
When I first began my martial arts journey, all I wanted to learn was fighting skill. But, I soon discovered that my nerdy 12-year-old physique was not quite up to the task of performing many of the skills I was learning. Many of them required a flexibility, agility, and strength that I had not yet acquired.
So, I began to do workouts at the end of my martial arts practice, and the improvements I soon made in class helped me stick with martial arts training. In short, fitness training kept me in the martial arts.
Every one of your students can greatly benefit from taking fitness training; I think you’ll agree with me on that. But here’s the flip side of it… often, students who are taking fitness classes with me start off having no interest whatsoever in martial arts. Yet, a good number of them (some, not all) end up doing martial arts after all.
I can only attribute this to their developing a certain amount of trust with me as their fitness instructor, which eventually translates into an increased comfort level and curiosity with the martial arts I teach. And, I often think about how many students I would have missed out on teaching, had I not offered some sort of fitness program in my school.
Besides all that, I also get martial arts students from my fitness classes, who aren’t in my fitness classes. Yep… these are the spouses and children of my fitness students, who are exposed to my programs through their parent, husband, or wife.
And what’s more… I actually get paid to do something I should be doing anyway, which is doing conditioning drills and training to stay in shape.
So, let me ask you this question: “Would you cheat your students, your school, and yourself of all these benefits, just because you think teaching fitness isn’t ‘martial’?”
Only you can answer that question.
How To Start A Fitness Training Program In Your Martial Art School
If you’re curious about how to start a fitness program in your martial art school – one that will greatly improve your students’ abilities, and add to your bottom line – click this link:
Posted by Mike Massie on December 9, 2009
A Fall Enrollment Season Like No Other?
If the recession has gotten you to tighten your belt, perhaps you should consider sticking to those habits once things improve
It looks like consumer confidence may be picking up, based on what I’ve been hearing from school owners around the country.
After a relatively flat October, enrollments increased sharply in November and the upswing is continuing into December… all factors that point to this being a highly unusual fall season for many schools around the nation.
However, it also could indicate that consumers are feeling more confident about the economy and are becoming more willing to spend money on luxury services again, in spite of the holiday season.
And, although the consumer confidence index has only seen a slight uptick since September (although it has increased dramatically after it hit near record lows earlier this year), it bears mentioning that at least in our industry there are plenty of schools that are going great guns despite the recession.
(Note: My take on this is that people are looking for something to take their minds off everything going on in the world, and activities like martial arts and fitness classes are a great way for them to do so. So, make sure your ads are focused on how fun and enjoyable your programs are – many people are more than willing to pay for escapism during difficult times. – MM)
If You’ve Tightened Your Belt A Notch Or Two, Don’t Start Loosening It Yet…
What this all means to those who have survived this recession is that you’ve developed some really good business habits in order to keep your martial arts businesses going.
That means you’ve been…
- Creating and following a marketing plan each month that includes multiple marketing methods, instead of cutting back on marketing to save money (this is so backwards, I can’t believe it when people tell me they’re planning to cut back on marketing to save money – that’s like saying you’re going to quit your job to cut back on your fuel bill)…
- Doing online marketing on a daily basis (blogging, articles, press releases, etc.)…
- Keeping your overhead costs as low as possible without sacrificing customer service or comfort…
- And, working your hardest to keep the students you have through showing them that they are valued members of your school!
Good Business Practices Should Be Adhered To In Every Economy
The fact is, the economy goes through regular cycles of highs and lows. Remember when the dot-com bubble burst back in 2000? How about the unusually harsh recession in the early eighties?
Knowing this, it only makes sense to stick to sound financial practices in your school during both strong financial times and lean.
So once this recession blows over, don’t do what most school owners will do and start to coast… or worse yet, to bog your business down with excess spending and overhead bloat. Instead, stick to those good habits so they become second nature… and then sock that extra money you make during the “good times” away so you are ready for the next low period.
By doing so, you’ll be protecting your business against any future economic dips… and at the same time you’ll be maximizing your profits while decreasing your liabilities.
Sounds like the smart way to go to me.
Until next time,
Posted by Mike Massie on November 5, 2009
Know Thy Image
I fully expect some clown to start offering martial arts for pets or some such nonsense at some point - which would be an extreme case of trying to offer something for everyone... or every-pet, in this case.
Trying to be all things to all people is a sure-fire way to become nothing to no one. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t diversify into having multiple programs for multiple age demographics. Not at all… in fact, for most school owners and in most locations I think it’s a mistake to just go after a single demographic.
Know What Pays Thy Bills
However, I do think you need to know what pays the bills, and be practical about pursuing that demographic and making it the priority in your school. For example…
In my first school, I built the entire school on kids programs. That was my whole image, and even though I taught adult classes, fitness classes, and so on, my entire image was tied up in being a kid-friendly school.
But in my most recent school, I focused more on presenting the message that we had programs for the whole family. Still, I wanted to teach more adults, so I focused more on that.
The thing is, getting kids in your school is usually the easiest task. It’s the adults that are much harder to attract. That’s why I always go for the kid’s market first, then go after the adults once the kid’s programs are paying the bills.
Know Thy Demographic
What’s that have to do with image?
Well, all my ads are pretty much middle of the road as far as raciness goes. The raciest thing I’ve ever run was for my boot camp, and that’s because the model showed midriff and had a belly piercing (it looked good, though – the ads performed well).
Mostly, I’ve stuck with mom-friendly stuff, because in the areas I operated in most of my clients and decision-makers were moms.
Know Thy Target Market
Here’s something to consider, though…
Say you run a gym that’s MMA oriented, and your enrollment is mostly made up of the 20- and 30-something, tatted up, Affiliction-wearing guys.
Chances are good that your kids classes are going to be made up of kids from those households.
So, you’ll still get some “contact” enrollments just by virtue of farming your existing clientele – it’s just going to fall out that way.
But, that “bad boy” image isn’t going to go over well with families who just walk in off the street. Your average soccer mom is going to be turned off by it, and she’ll take her kids down the street to the plain-vanilla-typical-suburban-family-image school down the street.
This is just one example, and I think you can see the converse also applies. If your school is viewed as a “kiddie” school, chances are good that will work against you if you are marketing hard core MMA or adult self-defense programs.
Know Thy Image As It Applies To Thy Demographic
This is why it’s important to understand the demographics of your area… so you can make sure you don’t have an image disconnect between the image your marketing projects and your local market.
In more densely populated urban areas, it may be possible to pick and choose your ideal student by targeting a particular demographic. This is what you see advertisers doing in mass media marketing – the audience is broad enough to allow the advertiser’s to pick and choose their market to a certain extent.
However, your market reach is effectively only 5-10 miles from your location (ten being on the extreme edges of your market).
So, the demographic found in that geographical area absolutely dictates what your marketing image should be.
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Questions? Comments?
Let Mike know! Post your comments below…
Posted by Mike Massie on February 20, 2009
In this economy you simply can't afford to be a wuss about what you need to do to stay in business
Ever see a kid arguing with his parents about something they wanted him to do?
If you have kids (or teach them in your school), I’m sure you’ve heard this before:
“But I don’t want to (insert something here that kids normally hate doing)!”
And you know the rest.
When I explain to martial arts instructors what they need to do to succeed, many times they’re a lot like those kids.
I tell them exactly what they need to do to succeed, and this is what I often hear in return:
“But Mike, I don’t want to…”
…teach kids
…teach women
…teach baby boomers
…teach fitness classes
…teach grappling
…teach mma
…sell equipment
…sell nutritional supplements
…do birthday parties
…work on my marketing
…hire a professional to design and build my website
…have a marketing budget
…track my stats
…train a leadership team
…run a summer camp
…make public appearances
…do public speaking events
…network in my community
…get publicity from the local press
…do volunteer work and fundraisers
In short, they’re telling me they don’t want to WORK…
They just want to make the big bucks, without having to hassle with all the things that will get you there.
But, you’re different, right?
I mean, you’ve been reading my materials, and so by now you know success doesn’t just happen like magic.
Well, in this economy that’s doubly true.
So, for those of you who are okay with bucking up and just dealing with whatever it takes to make your school a success, my hat’s off to you.
And, when the dust settles after this recession is over, you’ll be one of the ones left standing while your whiny, sissy competitors are long gone.
- MM
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Questions? Comments? Totally disagree? Let the world know! Post your comments below:
Comments:
Filed Under: News
Posted by Mike Massie on August 4, 2008
Gary wrote in last week to ask:
Q: “I currently earn $45,000 a year… So, at $99/month per student, I could replace my income and pay for my school expenses at about 45 students. Is this a reachable goal in, 1 year, two years?”
A: Yes, it is a very reasonable goal, but you aren’t going to be able to pay your expenses on a studio and pay yourself $45K a year with only 45 students.
That may cover your rent in an area where lease space is cheap, but you have to consider how much your utilities, advertising, and miscellaneous costs (supplies, cash flow to stock your Pro Shop, etc.) will be each month and factor that in as well.
I currently spend about $800 a month on advertising to generate approximately 20 leads a month, and we typically convert about half of those into memberships each month. (Update: We now spend only 25% of this amount on advertising and marketing due to stepping up our online marketing efforts. – MM)
Drop out rates are climbing due to the economy, so while we are still doing fine, we are planning to spend more money on our marketing this fall to make up for the students who have decided that their other luxuries are more important.
I suggest you use the worksheets in my business manual to determine realistically what your monthly expenses will be, and send those numbers to me so I can look them over. Then, you’ll know where you need to be, enrollment-wise, before you can quit your job.
The good news is, if you teach “X” martial arts you are offering a popular program that tends to do well with adults. However, I would advise you to look at teaching fitness classes as well, such as kick boxing bag classes.
Every “X” school I know makes over half their income marketing fitness martial arts and teaching fitness kick boxing. It’s a much broader audience to market to than self-defense, so be sure to include it in your class offerings.
